The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-16


can for want OF BREATH OF which thc man
makes few jottings In provoking delibe
rate manner after which he calls some one
from an inner room, retalls to him the outline
of my narrative and In perhaps ten minutes
from the time we entered we start homewards
escorted by two stalwart members of the
force.
Almost before we have rung, Ada opens the
door for us. Mother is stu nervous auo
harassed, Jack excited at the propect of al
| adventure.
"What would you ADVISER asks mother
addressing the taller Of the policemen. "Thb
person is in bedroom upstairs"
"Some one had better wake her-just in cas-,
you're mistaken, ma'am, " he adds, half apollo
gctlcally for appearing to doubt mother.
''You had better knock and explain matters
and see what she has to say for herself" he
goes on, turning to me. You need not be ir
the least afraid we won't be three yards of. y
Thus adiured | mount the stairs with beat.
ing heart, while the others group themselves
at the bottom. Three times | knock before
receiving an answer, and am just beginning IL
think that the robber has been disappointed In
the lucrative prospects OF the house, and made
off without carrying out his evil intentions
The third time, however some one stirs and
deep voice calls out sleepily; who's
there. Sure it's never eight O'Clock "
"No,n call back, ''but want TO speak 70
you. Open the door for minute, please"
hear n movement inside as Of some one
stirring, and a voice grumbllng dlscontentedly;
and then, just as my knees begin to tremble,
the door is opened, and our guest appears in
the doorway wearing n rapidly improvised
dressing gown in the shape of an ulster, her
thick hair straying over her face, which does
not wear its most salubrious expression. Al
once | am aware that mother has been wrong
in her calculations, a conviction which natur'
ally does not tend to the steadness of either
my voice or ideas.
'There has been some mistake" | stam'
mered. "You are not our cnpsln, after all.
You should have been ashamed 10 have treat
ed us so badly" go on severely, as fancy J
detect symptoms of guilt in the face before
me.
claw, sakesl" exclaims my companion, ia
ken back at such a sudden attack, rubbing
her eyes and starring aghast at me-
"And I'd like to know who set up to be yo,p
cousin,n with scornful emphasis on the
possessive pronoun, while an indignant flush
passes over her face. DO tell ~ she cries Out
wrathfully, her American accent coming Out
strongly. "And I'd like to know who's beer
treated badly II it's not an honest servant
girl brought here from Amerily by them as
made her fair promises, and then turned her
adrift when she had served their purposes
Didn't your mother engage mei and I'd like
to know what she found to complain of al
ready
Engage YOU" echo, while | hear faint
exclamation from the group gathered at the
foot of the stairs.
YES engage me-" she reiterates angrlly,
''and II you don't believe me I'll show you
the letter Mrs. Harvey got from her, and sec
If you won't believe your own eyes"
"You don't need to- | respond a light
breaking in on my mind. "Who do you say
engaged you"
''Your mother" she repeats in an angry
tone, thinking | am trihing with her, 'blrs
White, and III find her letter in a second,
too.n
"Then our names not White,n | say, sand
you've come TO the wrong house. We expect
en- our cousin to-day, and when you arrived
OF course we took you for her"
WHO may you be, thenm she inquiries,
somewhat staggered, but still dHiart.
Mrs. White lives ON the opposite side Of the
street." | say soothingly not needing the
question, and feeling that, after all, from the
poor woman's point OF view she has been
rather badly treated.
"You had better go back to bed, and every.
thing can be set right In the morning." / con-
tinued cheerfuly, as my companion bursts in
to an angry lit Of tears Then she closes the
door unceremoniously In my face, and do
scend the stairs TO see the effect Of the extra
ordinary revelations ON the minds ~ the 9th
ers. Jack and Ada are titterlng. see by the
twitching of the mems lips that their gravity
has been put to a severe test Mother alone
looks vexed aud annoyed.
"Glad that IT'S nothing more serious than
mistake, maam," says the tall policeman at
last. II think, as we're not needed, we'll say
good night" and then they go, leaving us feel
ing chagrined and small, but withal relieved.
Our indignant guest takes leave OF us in the
early morning, and she and her belongings
are safely housed with Mrs. White, over the
way, who, II seems, had begun TO despair OF
her new handmade, aud Is unfegnedly glad
when she makes her appearance. Poor Mary
Her democratic ideas which she found so sat
isfactorily carried out in our house aud at our
table viii doubtless receive shock IN her new
abode Neither is II probable that her new
mistress will relegate TO her her best spare
bedroom, so that 1t is TO be feared her candidly
a